Welcome to the updated version of Legacy. I'll be slowly re-writing/updating existing chapters one by one then adding the final two chapters of this story before continuing with Helsing. I've had a hell of a year and am finally able to get past my writers block and other obstacles. Anyway, enjoy.
Disclaimer: I need not put one, so long as I am not receiving payment for this. So read on loves.
LEGACY
-Chapter One: Gut Feeling:
Rachel Barbra Berry was definitely having a bad morning.
For whatever godforsaken reason, her ever accurate "sixth sense" was going absolutely bonkers and causing her stomach to twist into tight knots and unfortunately draw her focus from the world around her. This rather irritating problem had finally interrupted her morning routine and now she sat in her kitchen, waiting for Finn to show up, contemplating her situation.
She really couldn't figure out why her intuition was warning her. In fact, she made sure everything was in order. Rachel had called her fathers at work and double checked that they were safe, leading them to ask if she was feeling okay. She also checked the news and nothing was amiss. She even went on MySpace and Facebook to see the statuses of her fellow classmates but according to them, it was just a normal day. Unfortunately, Rachel was plagued with the feeling that something was very, very wrong.
Rachel was startled out of her thoughts when she heard an obnoxious honk from outside.
"Of course Finn would be too lazy to actually ring the doorbell for once." Rachel thought irritably.
She paused at the thought and chastised herself,
"No, Finn is a wonderful boyfriend. I'm just distracted today. That's it."
She slid out of her seat and snatched her bag up from by the front door and scurried out of the house to Finn's truck. She pulled on the beat up handle and crawled into the vehicle. She was greeted by a lopsided, boyish smile and a "Hey Rachel!" from her attentive, although slightly dumb boyfriend.
Rachel flashed him a fake smile -her thoughts elsewhere- and leaned over to kiss his cheek,
"Good Morning, Finn! Was your sleep satisfactory?"
Finn blinked at her, "What's..Uhh..Satis-stat…?"
"Satisfactory, Finn. It's a good thing." Rachel said slowly.
The light bulb went off in his head and he smiled again, "Oh, right. I knew that. It was great!"
Rachel sighed then nodded. She didn't bother to keep the conversation flowing so Finn started the truck in the awkward silence and drove them towards school.
Finn kept glancing at her all through the ride which ended up with her biting out a sharp, "Is there something wrong, Finn?"
He paused at her tone then continued, "Well...no. But I was wondering what's got you in such a mood?"
She bristled, "Mood?"
Finns eyes widened at her locked jaw and clenched fists then cautiously raised his hands in defense.
"No, not like that! I mean you seem off today!"
Rachel's eyes narrowed, "It's nothing."
He slowly put his hands down but continued to watch her like she was a vicious lion waiting for him to cross her, "You sure, I mean, you are never like this. You are almost as bad as Scary Quinn!"
"What?" All thoughts of anger left her at that statement and she stared at him incredulously.
"Well yeah, whenever Quinn got mad when we were dating, she always had this look in her eye like she was gonna rip your heart out and feed it to a squirrel for shits and giggles."
Rachel scowled, "Finn, language! And for your information, Quinn is nothing like that!"
Finn stared at her, "Oh, she is. Scary Quinn is like my mom getting mad at me for leaving my socks in the fridge again. It's weird."
She blinked at the tidbit of info Finn gave her before he finally pulled to a stop at the school. Finn gripped the steering wheel and waited for her to speak.
"Well…I guess I'll see you at lunch. My day will be rather busy. Mr. Schue has got it into his head that we should do another Journey extravaganza and I am taking steps to deter him by any means necessary."
Finn gazed blankly at her, "Uhh. Right."
Rachel huffed at Finn's zoned-out look then pushed her door open to exit. She wanted to just sit in the auditorium and get her mind off whatever the hell was happening to her and her issues with Finn's normal tactless attitude.
Unfortunately, her storm out was marred by her falling ungracefully out of the truck and onto the asphalt. Rachel groaned and clutched at her hip. She paused when her eyes got an eyeful of red and three pairs of long, luscious legs.
She peered up and looked into amused hazel eyes.
Then Santana opened her mouth.
"Way to go, Hobbit. You successfully proved my theory that you can't function properly without your fellow Keebler elves. Obviously gravity did all the work for me."
Rachel rolled her eyes at Santana's usual demeanor then clambered unsteadily onto her feet. She opened her mouth to answer but was stopped when the fiery Latina held up her hand,
"Nope! Don't wanna hear it, Frodo! I don't have time for the constant spiel. Britt-Britt and I have places to be. Adios, Bitches!" She then grasped Brittany's pinkie with her own and glided off to wherever the hell she was headed. Judging by her smirk and the way Brittany was draped on her side, they were on their way to a janitor's closet. Rachel watched them go with a scowl, when her attention was brought back forward by a cough.
Rachel's head snapped back around, completely forgetting the head cheerleader that was still standing next to her.
"Oh! Quinn, excuse me for ignoring you. Santana can get on my nerves sometimes."
Quinn cocked an eyebrow, "Yeah, she does that. As soon as she saw you fall out of Finn's truck she wouldn't stop cackling," she stared past Rachel and frowned, "By the way, it looks like Gigantor didn't bother to stick around and see if you were all right."
The brunette turned her attention to the driver's side of the truck she arrived in and saw that it was indeed empty and her boyfriend nowhere to be seen. She scowled deeply when she felt her hip flare up in pain.
She clutched at the offending hip then said, "Of all the things he could have done…I can't believe he would...I'm gonna kill him!"
Quinn cocked an eyebrow at Rachel's uncharacteristic behavior, "Are you okay? You seem…off."
"Why does everyone keep saying that!?"
The blonde's eyebrow, if possible, inched higher. "Well that would normally tell you that something is indeed wrong, isn't it?"
Rachel deflated but stayed quiet. She didn't exactly what to tell her ex-tormenter that her gut was going wonky. Rachel didn't need to be thought more of a freak to them than she already was.
"Hmm…fine. Like I care if you tell me," Quinn said after a few moments. Her voice was odd, like Rachel's non answer bothered her. She breezed past Rachel and strode purposefully towards the front doors of the school.
The brunette cursed her empathy and gritted her teeth, "Quinn, wait!"
The other girl paused for a heartbeat, a few feet away, then turned to look at Rachel over her shoulder and waited for her to speak.
She took a step forward but was keenly aware of her error when a flash of pain went through her right side and her leg buckled from beneath her, sending Rachel crashing to the floor again.
Quinn was at her side in an instant, bent over her prone form. Rachel was curled into herself and had a hand at her side. She once again fell on her hurt hip. Quinn removed Rachel's hands from her side and made to pull down her skirt when the tiny brunette's hands flashed forward once again and wrapped themselves around the blonde's wrist. Her eyes were filled with pain and reluctance.
Quinn frowned and spoke softly, "Let me look at it. Coach made us tend to our own wounds as punishment when we fell off the pyramid so I have experience with this stuff."
Rachel grimaced then nodded. She slowly removed her hand from Quinn's wrist then wrapped them around her sweater, balling the loose fabric into her fists. Quinn soothingly ran a hand through Rachel's hair and tugged the skirt down slightly to observe Rachel's hip more closely.
The singer took a moment to contemplate her situation and the girl who was tending to her. Quinn was so gentle and kind with her injury. It was a whole new side to the girl that Rachel relished in, though she wondered how long this would last.
They were hidden by the cars in the parking lot, so Quinn wasn't exactly risking her popularity by helping Rachel, but once she caught the look of concentration and caring on her companion's face, she wasn't so sure about her and Quinn's tumultuous relationship anymore. It was a whole new level for them and she wasn't sure how she should feel about it.
Rachel was harshly tugged out of her thoughts when Quinn gave a particularly hard jab at her hip. The brunette let out a yelp and recoiled.
Quinn was instantly apologetic, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I had to check your bone for damage!" The look in her eyes conveyed sincerity and guilt.
The other girl whimpered, "M'Okay," she managed to hiss through her teeth.
"You need to see the nurse, Rachel. I think the bone is bruised judging by the look on your face."
Rachel nodded then whimpered again. Quinn paused then stooped down to lift a protesting songbird into her arms.
"Quinn, no! I'm fine! I'm not worth risking your popularity over, I'll just head to the nurse by myself."
The blonde in question rolled her eyes then stood with Rachel draped in her arms and began to make her way past the maze of cars, "Let you head to the nurse with a bum leg? Yeah, I'll totally do that," She said sarcastically.
Rachel continued to protest but Quinn ignored her complaints. The lot was empty, as the bell rang minutes ago but Quinn paid no heed to the fact that she would be late for first period. Finally, Rachel fell silent and allowed the blonde to carry her to the nurse.
After a long walk they made it to the office but the woman who occupied it was nowhere to be found. Quinn scowled, "Of course."
She strode over to the empty examining table and hefted Rachel onto it gently. The girl squirmed but fell silent once she found a non-painful position. She gripped her hands and looked at the girl who carried her in.
Quinn was looking back at her questioningly.
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
At that, Quinn's demeanor froze.
Rachel allowed a few moments to pass before Quinn broke her silence.
"I…I want to make it up to you. All the horrible things I've done…I need to make it up to you. I'm responsible for your torment and I need to do make things right."
"That can't be it! There must be more to it than that! This is completely out of the blue." Rachel shot back.
Quinn frowned and turned away.
"It's complicated."
"Then uncomplicate it!"
The blonde whipped back around and shot Rachel a glare, "I know there is more to it than that but I'd rather explain it to you when you aren't hurt and in the nurse's office."
Rachel looked cowed, "Right…right. Sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Quinn sighed.
They faded into silence, both lost in their own thoughts.
Suddenly the nurse ambled in with a cup of coffee and an irritable look on her face. She paused at the two occupants and scowled.
"What do you two want?"
Quinn took one look at the grumpy and tired looking nurse and scooped Rachel back up "Never mind, she's obviously not able to look after you. I'll take you to the Cheerios locker room for some pain killers and we can talk to Schue about getting you looked at. It's almost time for Glee anyway."
The nurse squawked, "What do you mean by that, you ungrateful child!" but Quinn ignored her banshee screeches in favor of Rachel.
They exited the nurses office together, the noises of the hacked off woman slowly trailing off as they made their way through the deserted halls. Rachel had a hard time figuring out where to look as Quinn carried her but she eventually found herself staring at the blonde.
Her eyes trailed over her sharp chin and graceful features. Rachel found herself licking her lips as soft brown orbs locked onto the pink, bow shaped lips above hers contemplating how they would taste if she were to reach up and nibble on them.
She froze.
"Holy Barbra."
Quinn's eyes snapped to hers immediately, "Is something wrong? Is it your hip?"
Rachel scrambled for something to say while trying to wrap her mind around her incredibly Sapphic thoughts, "Uhh..Yeah. My hip. Oh! Ow, my hip!" Rachel cursed the fact that her acting failed her in that moment.
The blonde paused at the awkward sentence then adjusted her grip, "I'm sorry is that better."
"Much!" Rachel squeaked out. She really couldn't believe Quinn bought that.
Quinn only raised a skeptical eyebrow leading Rachel to believe the blonde wasn't as gullible as she thought. She was brought out of her internal panic by the hazel eyed girl pushing open double doors leading to the Cheerios locker room. Quinn carefully set Rachel down on a bench then slipped into a door way where she could be heard digging through god knows what.
Rachel took the time to have an internal freak out.
"Did I just have an incredibly gay thought about Quinn of all people?!"
Rachel wasn't too concerned about the gay part. She was the daughter of two gay men. She's far from homophobic, but Quinn? Quinn Freaking Fabray? Yeah, she was definitely screwed.
Quinn returned to Rachel's side with a bottle of Advil.
"Sorry, I'd give you the good stuff but Coach has it locked up tighter than Guantanamo."
Rachel forced out a placating smile, "It's truly alright, Quinn. Ill manage. Let's get to Glee shall we?"
Quinn once again shot her a look that said she didn't believe a word of that but nonetheless helped Rachel up without another word. The brunette tossed back the Advil and together they slowly made their way to the choir room. As they walked, Rachel was still vaguely aware of the bad feeling nagging at the back of her mind. She ignored it as best she could in favor of keeping an eye on Quinn.
The two finally ambled up to the door to the choir room. Rachel shot a quick sideways look at Quinn when she let out a sigh under her breath but said nothing. They stood there for a few moments, oddly savoring each other's company before returning to the real world. Quinn broke the tension and placed her hand on the door handle and pushed the door open slowly.
Upon entering they were met with a chaotic scene.
Kurt and Mercedes were standing in the middle of the choir room squared off against Schuester shouting things back and forth. From what Quinn and Rachel could gather from the loud squabble, this argument was about Journey.
Artie and Mike were arguing on one side, with Tina looking miserable between them. Rachel figured that it was about her.
Santana and Brittany were giving Finn a hard time while Puck was snickering to himself. Finn was slowly getting redder and was getting that constipated look on his face. His eyes were obviously searching for someone to back him up because Puck sure as hell wasn't going to do much. His eyes landed on Rachel, much to her displeasure, and the songbird and the blonde both watched as his eyes lit up and he called desperately,
"Rachel! Hey! Come over!"
Rachel sagged, and shuffled over to her boyfriend. Quinn lagged behind. She was unsure whether or not she should follow Rachel or make her way over to Santana and Brittany. Rolling her eyes, Quinn figured she would just stick to Rachel and make sure she was alright.
The small singer collapsed into the seat beside Finn holding her hip and stared straight ahead. Finn caught on to her mood and stayed quiet. Quinn sat in the seat above Rachel, which just so happened to be beside Britanna.
"Hey Preggers, what the hell happened to you in first?" Santana shot at her Captain.
Quinn slowly turned her head and answered in a bored tone, "Helping Berry. She hurt herself and I was assisting.
Santana scoffed, "You helped her? Why the hell would you go and do that?!"
"There are many reasons S, you don't need to concern yourself with any of them." Quinn replied in a tone that said that the matter was settled.
The Latina scowled but returned her attention to Finn.
"So Finnept, explain to me how you walk with all that blubber?"
"Oh my god, shut up Santana!"
"Bite me, Manatee."
The noise in the room was slowly increasing as each argument was slowly getting more heated. It was difficult to hear much with three different arguments going on in the room, while the rest of the Gleeks were chiming in, instigating more animosity.
"Enough!" Rachel finally burst out.
The whole room instantly fell silent.
She had her head in one hand, tending to an oncoming headache and the other on her injured hip,
"I am so not in the mood for your constant blathering today. Mr. Schue, for the last time no one wants to do Journey! Santana quit bugging Finn, it got old like fifteen minutes ago. And Finn, for the love of God, grow a pair!" the outburst paused and she then turned to the Cheerio's Captain, "Quinn, thank you for your help today, I truly appreciate it." She then shot to her feet and hobbled out the door as fast as she could, her churning stomach was so much more apparent now.
Not a word was spoken after her departure.
A dark male figure sat erect in an ornate throne.
The man was old in appearance but there was more to him than that. His worn, long fingers gripped the edge of his seat and he thought long and hard about his current situation. He didn't have many options but he always triumphed when things looked bleak. He was king of his kind, after all, for a reason.
After pondering his situation for a few moments more, he smirked to himself and called for his attendant,
"Bring me Kraven and Selene. I have a task for them."
Ice blue eyes coldly observed the servant scurry away to do his bidding. His enemies would not win this time. He would be sure of it.
XXXXXXX
So this is the newest chapter I've finished. Hope you liked the better intro. My writing has improved since the beginning of this. Anyway College has got me in the ringer. I'm currently ignoring studying for an important Philosophy exam tomorrow in favor of churning this out finally. I'll get cracking on the next chapter ASAP. I feel like this is going to turn out to be a completely different story than the original. Sorry about the delay everyone. Believe me I'm working on it.